About Us

Kol Tikvah (Voice of Hope) was founded in 1994 in a merger between two West San Fernando Valley Reform synagogues: Temple Emet and Shir Chadash — The New Reform Congregation.

Temple Emet was formed in 1968 as a breakaway from Temple Solel. In 1972 the synagogue purchased property on Ventura Blvd., an A-Frame Church and surrounding grounds. In 1989, Temple Emet sold off a piece of their property to fund the building of a new sanctuary and school on its site. Shir Chadash was formed as a breakaway from Temple Judea in 1983 and met in various locations around the West Valley prior to the merger of the two synagogues. The newly formed synagogue, Kol Tikvah, remained at the Temple Emet site.

In 2007-08 a congregational tallit was commissioned in honor of Kol Tikvah’s “Bar Mitzvah Year.” Designed by artist Hillary Miller and painted by members of the Kol Tikvah community during a family education day in our religious school, the tallit was presented to the synagogue during a special service during the Bar Mitzvah Shabbat, May 11-12.

Each of the 13 strands on the tallit embodies an aspect of our synagogue’s vision. Woven together, these strands represent our synagogue’s past, present and future:

Acts of Lovingkindess
Community
Creativity
Friendship
From Generation to Generation
Holiness
Hospitality
Leadership
Music and Prayer
Remembrance
Study of Torah
Tolerance
Tsedakah